Biggest "steal" you ever made...

[David Karp]

That is my experience with Craig's List too, mostly.

This reminded me that I once purchased a Calumet 45N, a 135mm Fujinon W, a 180mm Fujinon A, some holders, some expired film, Polaroid 545 and pack film holders, a nice Horseman 6x7 roll film holder, and several double sided holders. I don't remember what I paid, but I sold all of it but the Polaroid holders and the Fujinon A. Made a bit of money on it. Originally, I thought I wanted the Horseman holder too, but decided that it was not for me.

Turns out I wish I kept the 135mm Fujinon. Now I have a 5x7 back for my WP camera, and it would have been a nice short focal length, as the older Fuji 135s cover just fine.

All of this came from a pro photographer. This was his backup camera and some stuff he did not use that much any more, plus some holders to make a kit. He just wanted to get rid of the stuff.

[John Bowen]

My Best STEAL???

Don't know if this qualifies, but back in '95, my $250 raffle ticket resulted in a Lexus GS 300 (sticker was $45,000).....I've used it to to go "cruizin' fer snaps." Then last year "clunked" it for a $4,000 rebate on a hybrid....

[Captain_joe6]

The #2 steal for me was a Century studio camera and stand, with sliding and fixed 5x7 backs, and one very large Packard shutter, for $100.

The #1 though is still my 8x10 Sinar P2, in absolutely pristine condition save for two bubble-levels, which are infrequently used, for $2000. Its not a converted 4x5 P2, either, it has the correct heavy-duty rear carrier and the extended front standard, so I still have complete front rise and fall abilities.

Love that camera...

[Andrew O'Neill]

10 more posts and finally I'm in the 100 no picture post club

Ya, but you still need 4890 more posts to get into "the good 'ol boys' club" here, eh!

[lenser]

How could I forget?????!!!!!

1993(?), photographing a hospital fund raising event which included a raffle for a fully restored 1970 Stingray convertible with the accessory bubble top roof. Spent $40 on tickets and put half in my wife's name. Sure enough, one of her's won the darn thing. She even let me drive it about four times in the year that we kept it.

[Jim Noel]

My biggest steal is a book. A pristine copy of Mortensen's "Monsters and Madonnas" for $5.00 in an antique store.

[Kerik Kouklis]

About 10 years ago my wife bought a small secretary desk at a local antique street fair for about $250. After it was in the house for a few weeks, she pulled the drawers out looking for something she had lost and found an envelope with about £1,000 cash carefully hidden behind the drawers. There was also a passbook from a British bank account with a balance of several hundred £. The most recent date in the passbook was the early 70's. Would sure like to know how that desk made it to Placerville...

[ki6mf]

My cousin and i bought a pawn ticked off a guy for $15 back in 1970 redeemed and split goods! For my $8.00 investment i got a full set of 58MM Hoya color correction filters, a Yashica 635 TLR and a 2 color Gossen Sixti Color Color meter. I still have the filters and meter and do use the sixti color when shooting digital!

[Emil Schildt]

my best steal is also my funniest...
My tein brother bought a big old camera at a store - purely by accidence...
A couple of years later he (or his girlfriend) grew tired of ot and he offered to me for 300$...

Then a couple of years went by, and via a curious student, we decided to see if we could determine what camera make it was.
the front plate was not original, and I could see a small part of a plate sticking out under it.
We unscrewed the holders for the front plate, and look and behold:
the name was "GANDOLFI MAKERS of London!

So I was the owner of an old 12x16 Gandolfi!....

The look on my brothers face, when he realized it was precious!!

[rycollier]

I had this boss when I worked at a photo store that didn't give a crap about LF. First of all, I can't believe the guy trading this stuff in let it go for so cheap, but for $250 I got a Calumet view, 135 N-II, bag bellows, short rail and a large Bogen tripod w/ head. A few years ago I sold just the camera stuff to KEH for allot more... but now I kind of wish I still had it.